Gas Turbine Combustor Dome Cooling via Retainer Cavity
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Solution Overview
Problem
The combustor components in gas turbine engines, particularly around mixers and nozzles, are susceptible to premature degradation due to high operating temperatures, leading to potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A combustor assembly with a dome and deflector that includes a retainer with cooling holes to provide airflow from a cavity to the opening, helping to cool the combustor surface and prevent damage from high temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If combustor components are placed close to the combustion flame to improve combustion efficiency, then combustion performance is improved, but the components are at risk of premature degradation due to high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
A cooling airflow system is introduced as an intermediary between the combustion flame and the combustor components (mixers and nozzles). The cooling air flows through passages and holes in the retainer and deflector, creating a protective barrier that shields the components from direct exposure to high temperatures while maintaining their proximity to the combustion zone for efficient fuel mixing and combustion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes pneumatic cooling by directing compressed air through a network of passages and holes in the retainer and deflector components. This pneumatic system delivers cooling airflow to critical areas, reducing component temperatures and preventing thermal degradation while allowing the components to remain in optimal positions for combustion performance.
2Temperature
If high temperature materials are used to withstand combustion temperatures, then temperature resistance is improved, but component complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying solely on specialized high-temperature materials to withstand combustion heat, the invention substitutes a mechanical cooling system. The retainer and deflector are designed with integrated cooling passages and airflow paths that actively remove heat from critical components, allowing the use of more conventional materials while maintaining temperature resistance.
3Reliability
If cooling airflow is provided to the combustor surface, then temperature damage is reduced, but device complexity increases due to additional cooling structures
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling structures are merged with the existing retainer and deflector components. The cooling passages, holes, and airflow paths are integrated into the structural design of these parts, combining the structural support function with the thermal protection function. This eliminates the need for separate cooling systems and reduces overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer and deflector components serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the mixers and nozzles, define the combustion chamber geometry, and simultaneously act as cooling structures with integrated passages and holes. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall device design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cooling airflow through the combustor assembly effectively reduces the risk of damage to the combustor surface, extending the lifespan of the components by mitigating the effects of high temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of cooling holes for providing a cooling airflow from the retainer cavity to the opening
Data Source
AI summary
A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a dome and a deflector positioned adjacent to the dome. One or both of the dome and the deflector define an opening, a component axis extending through the opening, and a radial direction relative to the component axis. The combustor assembly also includes a retainer having an outer member contacting the dome, the deflector or both. The outer member of the retainer defines at least in part a retainer cavity inward of the outer member along the radial direction. The dome, the deflector, or both define a plurality of cooling holes for providing a cooling airflow from the retainer cavity to the opening.